1 Bowl Banana Bread
Super moist, easy to make, and full of chocolate chips, this one bowl chocolate chip banana bread is a perfect snack or breakfast! In one hour and with minimal prep, you'll have a banana bread your kids will love and you can enjoy too!
Bananas are one of those fruits where you truly have a timeline. They can't stay in the refrigerator like apples, so you only have a few days to use them and then they go bad. The good news is, we've figured out lots of ways to bake with them!
Banana muffins, cinnamon streusel banana bread, banana bread without butter, or banana peanut butter breakfast bars are just a few of my favorites! Banana bread makes the house smell so amazing, I love baking it on a cool Fall day when you can enjoy the homey smells coming from the oven!
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This One Bowl Banana Bread Recipe
- One Bowl Banana Bread Ingredients
- Step By Step Photos
- How to Make One Bowl Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- One Bowl Banana Bread Recipe Variations
- Banana Bread Recipe One Bowl Tips
- How to Store 1 Bowl Banana Bread
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Other Recipes You'll Love
- 📖 Recipe
Why You'll Love This One Bowl Banana Bread Recipe
- It's a one bowl dream! No stand mixer or hand mixer is needed! Everything is made all in one bowl. Makes clean up a breeze!
- It's loaded with chocolate chips! The chocoholic in me is always so happy about recipes with tons of chocolate chips.
- Gives your old bananas a great use! We all have those bananas around that no one wants to eat. Why not make them into a delicious, chocolate filled bread?
One Bowl Banana Bread Ingredients
One of the many great things about this recipe is that you probably already have these ingredients in your house!
- Bananas- yellow and spotty. Even almost all black is ok.
- Brown sugar- granulated sugar can be substituted instead but the brown sugar adds more flavor to the bread.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda- to help the bread rise
- Butter- to give the bread moisture and keep it from drying out
- Vanilla- brightens up the taste of the chocolate in the bread
What Bananas Should I Use?
We all buy that bunch of bananas, and there are inevitably two or three left over that get too soft and brown to eat. I know my kids refuse to eat them unless they are perfectly yellow. A little brown and forget it!
To make banana bread though, those bananas are perfect! Brown, spotty, and a little mushy have the perfect amount of sweetness and are easily mashed, to make the most delicious banana bread.
Equipment You'll Need
Step By Step Photos
How to Make One Bowl Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease a loaf pan with cooking spray and line the pan with parchment paper. Allow some of the parchment paper to overhang the sides of the loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, peel the bananas and mash them until there are no big chunks left.
- Add the sugar and eggs to the bowl and mix well.
- Place the butter and vanilla in the bowl and mix until all the ingredients are fully combined.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the bowl. Mix well but do not overmix at this point. You want to incorporate all the flour, but you don't have to get all the lumps out.
- Add the chocolate chips to the bowl and mix four more times to incorporate the chocolate chips.
- Place the batter in the loaf pan, top with a few more chocolate chips, and bake for 50 minutes depending on your oven. After 50 minutes, check the bread for doneness by sticking a toothpick into the middle of the bread and taking it out. If there is no batter on the toothpick, the bread is done!
- Take the bread out of the loaf pan by lifting the overhung pieces of parchment paper. Allow the bread to cool on a wire rack completely before cutting into it.
One Bowl Banana Bread Recipe Variations
- Chocolate chips are a family favorite in my house, but if you don't have a chocoholic in your house, leave them out! Or you can substitute them for walnuts or raisins, or both!
- I know I'm always trying to sneak healthy ingredients into my kids meals, so if you're like me and want to make this bread a little more healthy if you're giving it to your kids, take out ¼ cup of all purpose flour and substitute ¼ cup of ground flaxseed meal.
- Maple syrup, coconut sugar, or honey can be used instead of the brown sugar.
- To make this bread dairy free, coconut oil or vegetable oil can be used instead of butter. Use dairy free chocolate chips as well.
- Take out ½ cup of chocolate chips and add ½ cup of peanut butter chips for a peanut butter chocolate banana bread. SO GOOD!
Banana Bread Recipe One Bowl Tips
- Banana bread is known to stick to the sides of the loaf pan, so it's really important to grease it well and line the loaf pan with parchment paper. The parchment paper also makes it really easy to lift out the bread when it's done.
- If the top of the banana bread is browning too fast in the oven, take a piece of aluminum foil and tent it over the loaf pan. That will stop the browning on the top of the bread.
- Though it might be tempting to cut this bread as soon as you take it out of the oven, it's really important to let it cool. If you don't allow the bread to cool, it will likely fall apart when you cut into it.
How to Ripen Bananas
- To ripen bananas faster than they normally would, place the bananas in a brown bag with an apple. The gases from the skin of the apple speeds up the ripening process. This way will take about a day to ripen.
- If you are in a pinch and want to ripen bananas quickly, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place the whole banana on a baking sheet and place them in the oven for 15 minutes. When the skins turn completely black they are ready! Carefully peel the banana and let it cool, then proceed with the recipe.
- Otherwise you can do what we do, leave them out on the counter until we forget about them and then make banana bread!
How to Store 1 Bowl Banana Bread
Once your one bowl banana bread has completely cooled, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days to keep it soft and moist.
If you’d like it to last longer, refrigerate it for up to a week, making sure it’s well covered so it doesn’t dry out.
For longer storage, slice the bread, wrap the slices individually, and freeze them in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Just thaw a slice at room temperature or pop it in the toaster when you’re ready to enjoy.
How to Freeze
This bread is fantastic to make ahead of time! You can even double or triple this recipe and freeze the bread for another day.
To freeze the bread, allow it to completely cool and then wrap the bread in plastic wrap. Place the bread in a Ziploc bag and write the date on the Ziploc bag so you know how long the bread has been in there. Place the bread in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can probably leave it in there for a little longer, I've pulled bread out at five months and it was still amazing!
Another option is to cut the banana bread into slices and freeze the individual slices, that way you can grab a slice, throw it in the toaster oven, and head out the door on those busy mornings! To do this, slice the bread and place the slices on a parchment lined baking sheet. Once they are frozen, place the slices in a Ziploc bag and keep them in the freezer.
Frequently Asked Questions
After the banana bread has cooled down, place it in an airtight container and keep it on the counter. Do not place it in the refrigerator, as the cold air will dry out the banana bread and make it go bad faster. The amount of bananas and butter in this recipe should not produce a dried out bread.
Yes! Instead of adding the batter to the loaf pan, scoop the batter into a muffin tin lined with muffin liners. Bake the muffins for 20-22 minutes.
There could be a few reasons it sunk. It's really important not to overmix the batter. It's ok if there are lumps in the batter, but overmixing will turn the banana bread tough and build up the gluten. This will make the banana bread really heavy and it will have a hard time rising fully. Another reason is that the baking powder and baking soda were expired and therefore unable to make the bread rise fully. It's a best practice to check leavening agents expiration date before you start baking to avoid this mistake.
Banana bread can be a bit healthier than some other sweets since it has fruit in it, and you can make it even better by using whole wheat flour, cutting back on sugar, or tossing in some nuts. That said, it’s still a treat, so it’s perfect for enjoying in moderation!
Other Recipes You'll Love
Did you love this One Bowl Chocolate Chip Banana Bread? I'd so appreciate it if you would give this recipe a 5 star review! That will help other hungry readers find my recipes!
And don't forget to tag me on Instagram or Facebook and share this recipe on Pinterest! Thanks for sharing this journey with me and enjoy these delicious recipes!
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📖 Recipe
Banana Bread One Bowl
Ingredients
- 3 Bananas Very ripe
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- ½ cup Butter Melted
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 ¾ cup All Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Chocolate Chips Semi Sweet
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan with cooking spray or butter and line it with parchment paper. Allow some of the parchment paper to overhang the sides of the loaf pan.
- In a large bowl add the peeled bananas and mash well.
- Add the sugar and butter to the bananas. Mix well.
- Add the eggs and vanilla to the bowl and mix again.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the bowl and mix until just combined. Do not overmix, it's ok it there are a few lumps left.
- Mix in the chocolate chips and mix again until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Add the batter to the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle the top with a few more chocolate chips.
- Place the loaf pan in the oven and bake for 50 minutes. After 50 minutes, check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the banana bread. If there is no batter left on the toothpick, the bread is done.
Notes
- When checking for doneness, there will still be chocolate on the toothpick. The bread is done when there is no batter left of the toothpick, a little chocolate is ok.
- Instead of chocolate, add raisins or walnuts for a healthier banana bread.
- Allow the bread to cool completely before cutting. If it is too warm when it is cut, the bread will fall apart.
- If the top of the bread is browning too fast, cover the bread with a sheet of aluminum foil.
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Oh my yes, I make banana bread a lot but these variations look quite exciting. A must try, THX for sharing.
Ms. K
you're so welcome! I hope you enjoy!
Oh yes, this is a great recipe. Thanks so much. I added toasted walnuts and dried cranberries instead of the chocolate chips, gives each slice a little festive look for the holidays.
P.S. Also just outside Boston
oh I love that idea!! Thanks for stopping by my fellow New Englander!!
My family loved this. It was a great way to use up my frozen bananas 🙂
One bowl banana bread IS LIFE! Why do we need MORE bowls, we don't!!
I made a double batch of your chocolate chip banana bread recipe with the intention of freezing a loaf for later. Well, that didn't happen because my family loved your recipe so much!! I will be making this again!!!
Simple and delicious - the perfect combination. Great recipe!
This worked a treat, and so happy with it being all in one bowl - who needs more dishes??
Being a banana bread addict I have made all the recipes! Love this one as less washing up means more time for making more banana bread - just perfect.
Moist and perfect! And I thought I was the only one who put chocolate chips in my banana bread lol. Thanks for a great recipe.
I am always looking for ways to male less dishes! This was delicious!
I love this easy banana bread recipe! Thanks for sharing!
This is exactly what I've been looking for - so tasty!